Virtual Field Trips
Experience the Museum of the City of New York virtually with your students this school year through visual and interactive remote-learning sessions led by museum educators. Groups or individuals are welcome to participate.
For over a decade, the Frederick A.O Schwarz Education Center has facilitated programs for hundreds of thousands of children and adults. Each of the virtual programs below is a unique interactive experience driven by student inquiry. Scroll down for detailed descriptions of each program offering.
Virtual Offerings (see below for full program descriptions):
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Activist New York (Topics offered: Movement for Black Lives, Health Activism and the Young Lords, LGBTQ Activism, Civil Rights Movement in NYC, or Workers’ Rights)
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Woman Suffrage and Voting Rights Now
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City as Canvas: Graffiti Art in NYC
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Getting Around: Transportation in New York Then and Now
Advance reservations are required. To request a reservation, complete the Virtual Field Trip Request Form.
Virtual Field Trip Details:
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Virtual Field Trips are available Monday through Friday starting at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.
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Virtual programs can be 45 or 60 minutes long, according to teacher’s preference, and are led by experienced museum educators.
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Programs are offered through Zoom. We will aim to accommodate other platforms if requested.
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Each program costs $120 for a maximum of 35 student participants. Family members and caregivers are welcome to assist students from the same Zoom accounts.
- Families, homeschool networks, or friends are also encouraged to bring a group of 5-35 participants together to experience a virtual field trip.
All inquiries will be answered in the order they are received. Once the booking process begins, changing your initial request may result in its going back in the queue.
Booking a Program:
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Step 1: Review virtual field trip offerings below and have your information ready
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Step 2: Fill out the Virtual Field Trip Request Form
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Step 3: After you receive an email from the Museum’s scheduling team with available dates and times, please respond to complete your reservation
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Step 4: Check your final confirmation letter and share the Virtual Field Trip information and responsibilities with your students, parents/guardians, and co-teachers.
We look forward to bringing the Museum to you and your students virtually this school year! To request a reservation, complete the Virtual Field Trip Request Form.
Program Offerings:
Activist New York
Grades 2 – 12
Explore New York’s rich history of social justice movements and youth-led actions. The program will provide space for students to voice their thoughts and participate in an activity to champion the changes they want to see. Participants will view photographs, flyers, protest posters, and film footage on one of the topics below.
Teachers may select one the following topics for their program or sign up for a series of sessions:
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The Movement for Black Lives
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Health Activism and The Young Lords
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LGBTQ Activism
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The Civil Rights Movement in New York City
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Workers’ Rights: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and the Fight for Fair and Safe Working Conditions
Related Exhibition: Activist New York
Woman Suffrage and Voting Rights Now
Grades 2 – 12
Discover diverse leaders within the woman suffrage movement and the tactics they used to expand voting rights. Learn about how race, ethnic, and class experiences shaped their political views and strategies. Looking back 100 years to the passage of the 19th amendment, participants will explore the legacy and shortcomings of the movement for votes for women and learn about the importance of the voting rights now.
Related Exhibition: Beyond Suffrage: A Century of New York Women in Politics
City as Canvas: Graffiti Art in NYC
Grades 1 – 12
Explore highlights from the Museum’s graffiti art collection and see original works created by legendary writers such as Daze, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, and Keith Haring. Participants will view sketches from the artists’ personal blackbooks, photographs of large-scale pieces on subway cars, and works on canvas as sources for studying graffiti as a dynamic art movement. Students will respond creatively by drafting their own sketches. Participants are encouraged to bring pencil and paper to the session!
Related Exhibition: City as Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong Collection
Getting Around: Transportation in New York Then and Now
Grades K – 5
From horse-drawn omnibuses to electric cars, transportation in New York City has undergone many changes from the 1800s to present day. Students will discuss how New York evolved over time by seeing pictures from the Museum’s collection. Participants will play a matching game and notice how new technologies affected the ways New Yorkers lived and traveled.
Advance reservations are required to book a program. To request a reservation, complete this Virtual Field Trip Request Form.
Additional Educator Resources and Lesson Plans
Bring the Museum to your students! Educator Resources and Lesson Plans are available online:
Field trips support the following Common Core Standards:
SL.4.3. – Explain events or concepts based on information in a historical text
SL.5.1 – Engage in collaborative discussions with the educator and with each other
SL.5.1c – Participate in discussions by asking and answering specific content-related questions
SL.5.2. – Summarize information presented visually
